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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

20 Questions From The Association - Still Locked In

Is it just me, or…

Would defeating the veteran-laden squad that prematurely ended his last two postseasons, knocking off an MVP-led 62-win team en route to coming within two wins (I know he was awful in the Finals) of a championship be viewed as perseverance and “party of the championship journey” had they been done by any 26 year-old not named “LeBron James?”

Would it be hilarious and kinda awesome if “the worst draft in recent memory” yielded multiple Hall of Famers?

For a team that did not have a pick before #41 and added a pair of guys that will likely be on the opening night roster, are the Lakers catching an awful lot of flack for their showing on draft night?

Might the already PG-laden Cavaliers have done better to spend the draft's top selection on a strong athletic wing scorer who improved immensely in his one college season, rather than a potentially solid lead guard with 11 NCAA games under his belt?

Does any praise for the Dallas Mavericks “stealing Rudy Fernandez for the 26th pick” overlook the fact that a) while he’s shown flashes, Rudy has given no indication that he’s anything more than mediocre role player in the NBA and b) they gave up a 20 year-old perimeter scorer with size in order to acquire him?

Did the Charlotte Bobcats do more to build a successful franchise between 8:12 and 8:23 on Thursday night than they had in the previous seven years?

With the addition of Johnny Flynn and another tweener up front, have the Houston Rockets definitively established themselves as the NBA’s Island of Moderately Talented Misfit Toys?

After trying to turn Tony Parker into a lottery pick, is the acquisition of a top-10 talent (in a weak draft, but whatever) in exchange for Parker’s good-but-not-great backup the epitome of the Spurs being the Spurs?

Does it seem at this point like the Knicks’ primary objective with every first round pick is maximum confusion among the fan base, more so than solid roster construction?

Despite all of the professional contrarians and agitators that feature prominently in today’s sports media, is the “Jimmer Fredette will be a total bust” bandwagon (yep, that’s me at the wheel) still a pretty lonely place?

In a draft in which quality rotation guys are expected to be at a major premium, is it baffling that 17 players were deemed more desirable than Chris Singleton, an athletic, NBA-ready (6’9”; 230) defender?

Given the scrutiny and day-to-day reexamination of his value that he’s subjected to, should Russell Westbrook take a page from Ron Artest’s book and henceforth be known as “Blogosphere?”

Despite his shooting just 42.2% and averaging 3 assists per game as a freshman at Texas, is the fact that the San Antonio Spurs deemed Cory Joseph worthy of a first-round pick all we need to know about him?

(Maybe just Laker fans on this one) Does it feel eerily like whatever the Lakers choose to do with Andrew Bynum- whether it be trading his $15M expiring deal or making him the franchise’s cornerstone for the future- will be wrong?

Is it a hell of a lot more fun to ignore the albatross contract and re-embrace “Fun Gil?”

Is Isaiah Thomas (#60 to the Sacramento Kings) a pretty solid bet to be the best last pick in the history of the NBA draft?

Have you unequivocally won Draft Night when this is your back story and you’re drafted in the first round while at Chuck E. Cheese with your little brother?

In light of David West opting out of his contract, is the next year and a half for the New Orleans Hornets too depressing to even contemplate?